Kings Of The Road A Couple Of Cool Cops Make Up Boca Raton`s Motorcycle Patrol Unit.

September 25, 1991|By SANDIE PICCIOCHI, Special to the Sun-Sentinel

As far back as Vinny Nava can remember, he has wanted a Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

``I`ve wanted a Harley-Davidson since before I could pronounce Harley- Davidson,`` said Nava, 25, who bought his first Harley this year.

When he takes out his Electra Glide touring bike, Nava is in hog heaven as he cruises through Boca Raton unshaven, wearing all black and leather.

He doesn`t mind that his bad-boy biker image gets stares. He just smiles and wonders what these people would think if he told them he was a police officer.

Let alone a police officer who rides a Harley for a living. Nava is part of a two-man motorcycle patrol unit with the Boca Raton Police Department.

``People look at me like I`m evil when I`m on my personal Harley because they have always had a bad image,`` Nava said. ``They don`t know that I`m a great guy. I`m a police explorer, a Boy Scout leader and a police officer.``

What makes up for the glares of disapproval is the gratification Naval feels when he rides around Boca Raton on his Harley-Davidson police bike in a starched white shirt, riding breeches, knee-high boots and mirrored sunglasses.

Until January, it didn`t. The city had two 5-year-old Kawasakis, which sat in a garage collecting dust and were taken out only for parades and other community events, said Sgt. Alan Dares of special operations.

Then Nava and his partner, Edgar Morley, came along and filled the two vacant motorman positions. They learned to ride on the Kawasakis, which broke down almost every other day. Nava even had to throw out part of his uniform when oil leaked all over him, he said.

``When I got the position, I was riding around on this Kawasaki that was just a piece of garbage,`` Nava said. ``Then I starting thinking that Harley- Davidson makes a police bike.``

Enlisting the help of their sergeant, Nava and Morley set the wheels turning to get two new Harley police motorcycles.

Half the job was done. Money had already been set aside for new motorcycles. Also, Harley-Davidson had the state bid for police motorcycles, Dares said.

``We were authorized for two new bikes for the 1990 budget,`` Dares said. ``I asked them to do research and decide which bike to buy, since they are on them all day.``

Nava and Morley called maintenance departments and heads of traffic units of local law enforcement agencies. They collected Harley-Davidson pamphlets and brochures.

``It all came down to us having to sell the idea,`` said Morley, 32.

A few months later, the department decided it would retire the Kawasakis.

Morley and Nava anxiously waited for their new bikes, but the shipment kept getting delayed. The bikes served as late Christmas presents when they finally rolled off a delivery truck in January, Nava said.

By that time, Morley`s motorcycle had to be push-started, he said. Nava`s bike was beyond repair, so he had a patrol car.

When Nava got the call from dispatch telling him the new bikes had arrived, he had been rummaging in the trunk of his patrol car, taking out his motorcycle helmet and placing it on top of the car.

He was so excited he almost lost his helmet.

``We were running radar and I put my helmet on top of my car and took off. I got up to about 40 and it blew off,`` Nava said. ``I saw it in the rear-view mirror. It was really a mess.``

He got the helmet fixed himself rather than risk teasing from fellow officers. ``Now that we`ve got the Harleys, there`s a lot of people that would jump on either one of the motorcycle positions,`` Nava said.

Morley and Nava are on the motorcycles 20 days a month, writing citations, investigating traffic homicides and directing traffic. They also take part in city-sponsored activities and give demonstrations during community service programs, Dares said.

``We do a lot of public-relations work,`` Morley said, ``So our bikes are nice and clean, spit and polished.``

Four Kawasakis. ``We`re looking to go to Harleys,`` said Lt. Allan Lewis of special operations. ``We seem to have found that the performance level of the Harleys are higher.``

PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE

17 Kawasakis and two Harley-Davidsons. Although Sgt. Jon McDonough, head of the motorcycle unit, said he believes the Harleys are better physically since the deputies spend long hours on bikes, he said it boils down to cost. ``... The Harley-Davidsons are costing us more money then the Kawasakis did,`` said Jim Crowning, maintenance fleet manager. ``I compared two brand new Kawasakis and two new Harley-Davidsons used during the same period of time. The Harleys` down time was longer and the expense is more, as far as maintaining them goes.``

BOYNTON BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT

Four Kawasakis. ``It`s sort of like having a choice between a Colt and a Smith & Wesson,`` Deputy Police Chief Jack DeLoach said. ``They`re both quality bikes, but when you`re spending taxpayers` money, it comes down to price. The Kawasakis are still serviceable, but when it comes time to replace them, we`ll look at both possibilities.``

FORT LAUDERDALE POLICE DEPARTMENT:

18 Harley-Davidsons. ``More and more police departments across the country are going to Harleys,`` said Sgt. Dave Johnson, who operates a motorcycle training program for police agencies in the tri-county area. ``We`ve found that they had less maintenance problems and they look, sound and manuever better.``